Many nurses worked at Barts and Hill End Hospital when services were evacuated in World War Two. Sadly, six nurses from Barts Hospital were killed in the Second World War and are remembered on the memorial window in St Bartholomew the Less Church. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we have collected a few voices from the past who recalled their memories of nursing in World War Two.
“I watched the bombers leave at dawn: it was quiet after the noise of the night. I saw a porter walking across the Square whistling ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’. I could cry now thinking of it.” Nancy Sinclair 1940.
“The square was white with ash with bits of flames blowing about. Fifteen or more incendiary bombs fell on the hospital roof and were dealt with. The night was bright as day. Little Britain was in flames, and if the wind had changed direction, Barts would have burnt to the ground as there was not enough water to save it. The next day we had no gas or water, or lights on the wards.” Betty Levack 1941
“Where do you think I have landed? Belsen Camp of all places, and my God, what a place it is. I have never seen anything so ghastly in all my life.” Sister Elizabeth Biggs. Story here.
“The war started, and we were all carted off to Hill End Hospital in St Albans. We had a lot of evacuees from Dunkirk, and their hands were covered in bandages, and all they wanted was a cigarette! I completed my training at Hill End. We were swotting while the Battle of Britain was going on overhead.” Kath Sims. Read her story here.
“We were issued our rations of butter and sugar, which we all carried round in a basket.” Sybil Allen 1953
Source: Barts Nurses Remember. League of St Bartholomew’s Nurses.
